Page 37 of Some Like It Hott

“Quinn and Sonya couldn’t be more different, either,” Shane says. “On paper. And look at Ivy and me. Small-town girl; bright-lights, big-city guy. Fame avoider, fame seeker.”

“Yeah, well, not gonna happen this time.”

I make myself look away from the sight of Natalie’s deliciously thick thighs locked around the horse’s flanks.

I am not fucking jealous of a horse.

Except I’m looking back. Again. Imagining those thighs?—

She’s done with her lesson. She dismounts, gives the cowboy a hug…

“Not interested, huh?” Shane says, looking down at my hands, clenched so tight my knuckles are white.

I close my eyes.

“So…” he says quietly, suddenly serious—and I should scent trouble because Shane’s rarely serious. “Were you ever going to tell us about your divorce?”

“No,” I admit. Then, “How’d you find out?”

He shrugs. “Hanna has a client from New York. I guess it’s not as well-kept a secret as you thought.”

“I wasn’t trying to keep it a secret,” I say.

“Only from us?” Shane asks. He doesn’t sound as hurt or angry as he probably deserves to be. “Did you think we’d give you shit about it?”

The truth is I didn’t want to talk about it. Especially not with people who know the history. I still don’t. But they’re both waiting for an answer.

A hand touches my arm. “Hey,” Natalie says. And I can’t help any of the things that happen next—not the unclenching of my fists or the unclenching of the tightness in my chest. I’m really fucking glad to see her, so much that it surprises me.

She looks from my brothers to me and back again, and for a moment I’m terrified that she’s going to apologize for interrupting and leave us alone again, so I’ll have to answer Shane’s question. But she doesn’t. She turns to the two of them, holds out her hand, and says, “Hi! I’m Natalie. I don’t think we’ve met.”

My brothers introduce themselves, and Natalie asks them what their favorite activities have been so far.

“Definitely the Jell-O pit,” Shane says.

Natalie raises both her eyebrows at me.

“Just because my brother’s a caveman…” I say.

“Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it,” Natalie teases.

“You haven’t tried the Jell-O pit?” Shane says. “Have youeverdone Jell-O wrestling?”

“Nope,” I say.

“Now’s your chance!” Natalie says buoyantly. “Shane, you and Preston should wrestle.”

“No way,” I say.

“Oh, come on,” Quinn says. “Even I did it. It’s pretty fun.”

All three of them face me, arms crossed.

“I mean,” Natalie says, “if you’re going to bring an activity toyour sister’s resort, you should probably vet it first, right? Make sure it’s safe?”

I glare at her, but it’s clear I’ve lost this one. Besides, she did save me from the third degree by my brothers. So maybe I owe her this win.

Also?

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